Stuart Alan to be appointed as Holyrood Standards Commissioner

Stuart Alan, the Chief Investigating Officer to the Standards Commission for Scotland is to be approved today as the new Standards Commissioner for the Scottish Parliament on the retirement of James Dyer. Mr Alan, will still continue his role at the Standards Commission while also working as Holyrood Standards Commissioner (will be kept busy considering the shambles at Holyrood ! – Ed)

Press Release from the Scottish Parliament :

PARLIAMENT TO APPROVE NOMINATION OF NEW STANDARDS COMMISSIONER

31 March 2009

The Parliament will be asked to approve the appointment by the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body of Stuart Allan as the new Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner.

The current post-holder, Jim Dyer, reaches the end of his second and final term today after six years in post.

The motion nominating Mr Allan will be debated by Parliament on Wednesday 1 April and the nomination follows an open recruitment process to find a successor to Dr Dyer.

The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner has powers to investigate complaints of alleged breaches of the Members’ Code of Conduct and has statutory powers to summon witnesses and compel evidence.

Mr Allan has significant experience of investigating complaints about standards.

He is currently the Chief Investigating Officer to the Standards Commission for Scotland. This role sees him investigate and report on cases where councillors or members of devolved public bodies may have contravened the relevant codes of conduct.

Subject to Parliament’s approval, Mr Allan will carry out both roles on a part-time basis. The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner works between five to ten days a month.

Biographical Information

Mr Allan qualified as a solicitor in 1973 and has spent his career in the public service.

He has previously acted as an adviser to a number of organisations including Cosla, the Scottish Office and the Assembly of European Regions.

He has also acted as Returning Officer and Regional Returning Officer at local government, Parliamentary, Scottish Parliamentary and European elections.

Mr Allan was appointed the first Chief Investigating Officer by Scottish Ministers in 2001 under the Ethical Standards (Scotland) Act. In 2004 he was re-appointed for a second term and in 2007 for a third. He will demit office in January 2010.